Gilbert Melendez (born April 12, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a two-time Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and a former WEC Lightweight Champion. He also competed in PRIDE FC, Shooto and Rumble on the Rock. Melendez was nicknamed after the El Niño storm, it was given to him by a Japanese broadcaster describing his fight-style and the manner in which he stormed through the Shooto Lightweight division.

Background

Melendez is from

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the List of ...

, of

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

descent. He wrestled at Santa Ana High School. Melendez always enjoyed combat sports and competition, but did not start training in MMA until after college when he was introduced to the sport by his good friend and MMA fighter Jake Shields. Melendez attended San Francisco State University and was studying in liberal arts, he anticipated becoming a teacher but did not finish his college education and get a degree, on account of training for MMA and working outside of college. He has stated that someday he plans on finishing his college education. Before becoming a professional fighter, he worked as a waiter and he also had a job at a Fairtex gear shop, which would later be one of his sponsors.

Mixed martial arts career

Melendez made his debut in the World Extreme Cagefighting and started off his career dominating his opponents, winning his first three career fights all by knockout due to punches before receiving an opportunity to fight for the first WEC Lightweight Championship against fan-favorite Olaf Alfonso at WEC 10. Melendez won the bout by

TKO TKO may refer to: Sports * Technical knockout, a professional fighting term * Total Knock Out, a professional wrestling move Music Artists * TKO (band), a rock band from Seattle, Washington * TKO, a pop group led by Katie White Albums * ''TKO ...

due to punches and became the first WEC Lightweight Champion. Two fights later, Melendez, still undefeated, made his debut in Japan's Shooto against Hiroyuki Takaya, which Melendez won by unanimous decision. He followed this up with two more TKO wins in Shooto to bring his record to 8-0 before making his Strikeforce debut against Harris Sarmiento, which Melendez won after his opponent tapped out due to punches received. Melendez won the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship from future UFC veteran Clay Guida by a split decision on June 9, 2006. Melendez then made his debut in PRIDE FC at

PRIDE Bushido 12 The year 2006 was the 10th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2006 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 31 - Unbreakable''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The f ...

, winning by unanimous decision. In his next fight for the organization he faced then Shooto Lightweight Champion Tatsuya Kawajiri. Melendez won again by unanimous decision. He returned to Strikeforce to fight

Tetsuji Kato is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight and lightweight divisions in Shooto, Strikeforce and DEEP. He was the SuperBrawl 7 Light Heavyweight Tournament winner, defeating Ben Hernandez in the finals. __TOC__ C ...

in a non-title bout, and won his third straight fight by a unanimous decision. Melendez then faced Mitsuhiro Ishida at the Yarennoka! event on New Year's Eve in 2007 at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. Melendez received his first career loss against the Japanese fighter by unanimous decision.

Strikeforce

Melendez held the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship belt for two years before losing it on June 27, 2008, to Josh Thomson by unanimous decision (50–45, 50–45, 50–45) at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson. On August 15, 2009, Melendez was again set to rematch Josh Thomson at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg but Thomson was not cleared to fight, due to lingering problems with his leg. Mitsuhiro Ishida was selected to replace Thomson in what became Melendez' first Interim title defense. On December 19, 2009, Melendez fought Josh Thomson to unify the

Strikeforce Lightweight Championship Strikeforce (mixed martial arts), Strikeforce was an American mixed martial arts organization. It crowned male champions in the lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, and female champions in feather ...

belts. Melendez won the fight via unanimous decision to become the Strikeforce Lightweight Champion. With the win he also avenged the second of his only two losses to date. Melendez successfully defended the

against current DREAM Lightweight Champion and former Shooto Middleweight Champion Shinya Aoki on April 17, 2010. A rematch between Melendez and Tatsuya Kawajiri took take place on April 9, 2011, at Strikeforce 33 in April. Melendez dominated his opponent showing excellent striking, knocking down Kawajiri with a right hand near the beginning of the fight. Melendez then again knocked down Kawajiri with a combination of knees to the body and a right hook followed by a right uppercut. The beginning of the end came when Melendez sprawled one of Kawajiri's takedowns and then began landing short left hands which knocked Kawajiri down into half-guard where Melendez began landing vicious right elbows before the referee stopped the fight declaring Melendez the winner by

3:14 into the first round. Melendez faced Jorge Masvidal next. UFC president Dana White briefly put the bout in question when he revealed to reporters that he was working to bring Melendez into the UFC fold "ASAP" with the possibility of Melendez entering with an immediate shot at the belt. Melendez eventually defended his title against challenger Jorge Masvidal at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Melendez took on Josh Thomson in a rubber match for the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier in San Jose, California on May 19, 2012. He won the fight via split decision. Fans did not agree with the decision and Josh Thomson was visibly disappointed by the decision. Booing immediately followed the decision and continuously throughout Melendez's post fight interview. Thomson, although not pleased with the decision, showed class in defeat by asking the crowd to stop booing and support the local fighter. Melendez was expected to face Pat Healy for the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship on September 29, 2012, in Sacramento, California. It was announced on September 22, 2012, that Melendez suffered an injury and had to withdraw from the fight. Due to Melendez' injury,

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global ...

opted not to air the card without the main event, thus causing Strikeforce to cancel the card becoming the second MMA card cancelled within a month under the Zuffa organization. The bout with Healy was rescheduled for January 12, 2013 at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine, but again, Melendez pulled out of the bout citing a shoulder injury.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Strikeforce promotion was dissolved into the UFC by parent company Zuffa on January 12, 2013. Melendez received an immediate UFC title shot and made his promotional debut against

Benson Henderson Benson Henderson (born November 16, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes for Bellator MMA, currently competing in their Lightweight division. He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and WEC Lightweight Champion. As of Novembe ...

on April 20, 2013, at UFC on Fox 7. Melendez lost a split decision in a closely contested bout. In his second UFC fight, Melendez faced

Diego Sanchez Diego Sanchez (born December 31, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, Sanchez is most known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (U ...

on October 19, 2013, at UFC 166. He won the fight via unanimous decision. The win also earned him his first ''Fight of the Night'' award. On UFC.com Joe Rogan called the brawl between Melendez and Sanchez the best he's ever seen. Melendez was scheduled to face Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 170. However, the fight was later cancelled due to undisclosed reasons. After negotiating with the UFC for his new contract, there was speculation that Melendez may sign with

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Archaeological site of Sbeitla, Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * Bellator (fish), ''Bellator'' (fish), a fis ...

. In the process, Melendez also got an offer from World Series of Fighting. He then agreed to sign with Bellator, but the UFC had the right to match their offer. Melendez ultimately re-signed with the UFC after he was given the opportunity to serve as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 20, opposite UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis, the two would face each other at UFC 181 on December 6, 2014. He lost the fight via guillotine choke in the second round. Melendez then faced Eddie Alvarez on June 13, 2015, at UFC 188. He lost the fight by a close split decision. Melendez was tabbed as a short notice replacement to face

Al Iaquinta Al Iaquinta (born April 30, 1987) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, having once challenged for the Lightweight championship belt. A professional ...

on July 15, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 71, taking the place of Bobby Green. However, Melendez was removed from the card on July 6 after it was revealed that he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs after his previous fight at UFC 188. In addition, Melendez was suspended for one year from the date of the bout for violation of the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy. Melendez next faced Edson Barboza on July 23, 2016, at UFC on Fox 20. Melendez lost the fight by unanimous decision. Melendez faced

Jeremy Stephens Jeremy Stephens (born May 26, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). A professional since 2005, he spent 15 years and competed in 33 bouts in the UFC ...

in a featherweight bout on September 9, 2017, at UFC 215. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Both participants were awarded '' Fight of the Night'' honors for their performance. Melendez was scheduled to face

Arnold Allen Arnold Billy Allen (born 22 January 1994) is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of November 8, 2022, he is #4 in the UFC featherweig ...

on November 30, 2018, at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale. However, Melendez pulled out of the fight on November 5 and was replaced by

Rick Glenn Ricky Glenn (born April 12, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the UFC. A professional since 2006, he is the former World Series of Fighting Featherweight Champiom. Background Glenn was b ...

. Melendez faced

on July 6, 2019, at

UFC 239 ''UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on July 6, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light Heav ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. On November 11, 2019, it was reported that Melendez was released by UFC.

Personal life

Gil and Keri Melendez teach soldiers martial arts techniques

Melendez and his wife Keri Anne Taylor-Melendez have a daughter born August 8, 2010. Keri Anne is a Muay Thai fighter with a 3–10 record as a pro (

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

and

Kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...

). She also has a knockout win as an MMA fighter.

Film and television

Melendez starred alongside teammates Jake Shields and the Diaz brothers in the award-winning mixed martial arts documentary '' Fight Life'', the film is directed by James Z. Feng and produced by RiLL Films, it was released in 2013. He also has provided commentary and analysis for ESPN before each Pay Per View. He coached season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter for the UFC.

Championships and accomplishments

* Strikeforce **

(Two times; last) **Five successful title defenses ** Interim Strikeforce Lightweight Championship (One time) **One successful title defense **Most championship bouts in Strikeforce history (10) **Most successful title defenses in Strikeforce history (6) **Most consecutive title defenses in Strikeforce history (4) **Most wins in Strikeforce history (11) **Most significant strikes landed in Strikeforce history (749) * Ultimate Fighting Championship ** Fight of the Night (Two times) vs.

and

* World Extreme Cagefighting ** WEC Lightweight Championship (One time; first) *International Fighting Championships **IFC Night of Warriors Amateur Tournament Winner * Inside MMA **2013 Fight of the Year Bazzie Award vs.

on October 19 * Sports Illustrated **2009 Round of the Year vs. Josh Thomson on December 19; Round 5 *MMAFighting **2006 Lightweight of the Year * Wrestling Observer Newsletter ** 2013 Fight of the Year vs. Diego Sanchez on October 19

Mixed martial arts record

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, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 166 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, Decision (split) , UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , San Jose, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–2 , Josh Thomson , Decision (split) , Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , San Jose, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–2 , Jorge Masvidal , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , San Diego, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–2 , Tatsuya Kawajiri , TKO (elbows) , Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:14 , San Diego, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–2 , Shinya Aoki , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Nashville , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Nashville, Tennessee, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–2 , Josh Thomson , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Evolution , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , San Jose, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–2 , Mitsuhiro Ishida , TKO (punches) , Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:56 , San Jose, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–2 , Rodrigo Damm , KO (punches) , Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:02 , San Jose, California, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–2 , Josh Thomson , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , San Jose, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Gabe Lemley , TKO (punches) , Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:18 , San Jose, California, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–1 , Mitsuhiro Ishida , Decision (unanimous) , Yarennoka! , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 13–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Playboy Mansion , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–0 , Tatsuya Kawajiri , Decision (unanimous) , PRIDE FC: Shockwave 2006 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0 , Nobuhiro Obiya , Decision (unanimous) , Pride - Bushido 12 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Nagoya, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Clay Guida , Decision (split) , Strikeforce: Revenge , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , San Jose, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Harris Sarmiento , Submission (punches) , Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:44 , San Jose, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Rumina Sato , TKO (doctor stoppage) , Shooto: Alive Road , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:32 , Yokohama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Naoya Uematsu , TKO (doctor stoppage) , Shooto: 5/4 in Korakuen Hall , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:30 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Hiroyuki Takaya , Decision (unanimous) , Shooto: Year End Show 2004 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Kaynan Kaku , TKO (punches) , Rumble on the Rock 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:58 , Honolulu, Hawaii, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Olaf Alfonso , TKO (punches) , WEC 10 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:54 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Stephen Palling , TKO (punches) , Rumble on the Rock 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:59 , Honolulu, Hawaii, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Jeff Hougland , TKO (punches) , WEC 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Greg Quan , TKO (punches) , WEC 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:37 ,

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References

External links

* *
Official Pride Website

Gilbert Melendez' MyspaceMMA Freak Best of 2013 Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Melendez, Gilbert Living people 1982 births American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from California Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American sportspeople of Mexican descent American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople Strikeforce (mixed martial arts) champions World Extreme Cagefighting champions American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu American Muay Thai practitioners Sportspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in mixed martial arts San Francisco State University alumni Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters